M'Bala Nzola
![]() Nzola in 2017 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | M'Bala Nzola | ||
Date of birth | 18 August 1996 | ||
Place of birth | Buco-Zau, Angola[1] | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Spezia | ||
Number | 18 | ||
Youth career | |||
2010–2014 | Troyes | ||
2014–2015 | Académica | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015 | Académica | 0 | (0) |
2015–2016 | Sertanense | 25 | (7) |
2016–2017 | Virtus Francavilla | 33 | (11) |
2017–2019 | Carpi | 14 | (0) |
2018–2019 | → Trapani (loan) | 33 | (8) |
2019–2020 | Trapani | 12 | (1) |
2020 | → Spezia (loan) | 21 | (7) |
2020– | Spezia | 25 | (11) |
National team‡ | |||
2021– | Angola | 1 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:48, 2 June 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2021 |
M'Bala Nzola (born 18 August 1996) is an Angolan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Spezia and the Angola national team.
Club career[]
On 28 January 2015, Nzola made his professional debut with Académica de Coimbra in a 2014–15 Taça da Liga match against FC Porto, coming on as a substitute in the 4–1 away loss.[2]
On 7 August 2016, he joined Lega Pro club Virtus Francavilla Calcio.[3]
On 7 August 2017, after helping Virtus Francavilla Calcio reach the Lega Pro promotion play-offs, Nzola signed a four-year deal with Carpi F.C. 1909.[4]
On 16 August 2018, he joined Serie C club Trapani on a season-long loan. Trapani held the obligation to purchase him from Carpi at the end of the loan term in case of Trapani's promotion into Serie B.[5] On 15 June he scored the first goal for the Trapani victory over Piacenza, and after that Trapani was promoted in Serie B after two years of Serie C.
On 13 January 2020, he joined Serie B club Spezia on loan with an option to purchase.[6]
On 7 October 2020, Nzola signed with Spezia a three-year contract.[7]
International career[]
Being born in Angola, but raised in France, Nzola could represent both the countries at an international level.[8]
In March 2021, some months after he expressed his desire to represent Angola,[9] he received his first call-up to the national team.[10] Some days after, on 25 March 2021, he made his debut for the Palancas Negras against Gambia, in a qualifying match for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Personal life[]
Born in Cabinda, an Angolan exclave, Nzola emigrated to France as a child.[8]
References[]
- ^ "Mbala Nzola deseja representar os Palancas Negras". Luanda Post (in Portuguese). 3 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Porto 4-1 Académica". ZeroZero. 16 September 2015.
- ^ "M'Bala Nzola è un nuovo giocatore della Virtus Francavilla Calcio" (in Italian). Virtus Francavilla Calcio. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Mercato: Nzola è ufficialmente biancorosso" (in Italian). Carpi F.C. 1909. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ "L'attaccante 'Nzola è un calciatore del Trapani" (in Italian). Trapani. 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ "Mercato: colpo per l'attacco. Ecco M'Bala Nzola" (Press release) (in Italian). Spezia. 13 January 2020.
- ^ "UFFICIALE: Spezia, torna Nzola: ha firmato per tre stagioni".
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Finale playoff: da Gyasi a Nzola, gli (altri) talenti da seguire in Spezia-Frosinone". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ Tinfena, Gianluca (24 November 2020). ""Da bimbo scappavo per andare a giocare Il mio sogno? Vestire la maglia dell'Angola"". La Nazione (in Italian). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "CAN 2022: seleccionador nacional anunciou hoje a lista dos convocados em conferência de imprensa" (in Portuguese). 12 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
External links[]
- M'Bala Nzola at Soccerway
- 1996 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Cabinda
- Angolan footballers
- Angola international footballers
- French footballers
- Naturalized citizens of France
- Angolan emigrants to France
- Association football midfielders
- Associação Académica de Coimbra – O.A.F. players
- Sertanense F.C. players
- Virtus Francavilla Calcio players
- Carpi F.C. 1909 players
- Trapani Calcio players
- Spezia Calcio players
- Campeonato de Portugal (league) players
- Serie A players
- Serie B players
- Serie C players
- Angolan expatriate footballers
- Angolan expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
- Expatriate footballers in Portugal
- Angolan expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- French people of Angolan descent
- French expatriate footballers
- French expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
- French expatriate sportspeople in Italy